Eighteenth Chapter
Pride and Discord
Alus quietly moved under the blazing sun.
He glared at the red-haired girl next to him, as he wondered why he had to do something like this.
Of course, since they were still within the barrier, the sun above them was artificial and the temperature was being adjusted as well. However, with it being summer, it wasn’t quite comfortable and he couldn’t help but sweat due to the heat.
Even Tesfia used her hand to block out the light, as if to question who’d set the temperature this high, looking up in spite at the artificial sun in the blue sky.
Alus had only heard her story a few minutes ago, after Tesfia had called him and asked him to meet her. The transfer gate felt so distant. In reality, it was only a five-minute walk on foot, but the difference in temperature between outdoors and indoors was too great to bear.
There were two kinds of transfer gates within the Institute. One was the type used to move within the Institute grounds, and the other was the long-distance gate used to come and go from the Institute.
Though there were no set policies on where transfer gates could be set up, a location that was a comfortable place with less magic noise was preferred. As transferring included the precise reproduction of mana, the effects of mana remnants needed to be taken into consideration. If someone were to unleash magic close to a transfer gate, there was a chance that the gate could malfunction.
For that reason, it was common to set up a partition around a transfer gate to shut down magic.
Right now, Alus and Tesfia were making their way to the internal transfer gate. That said, Alus was only reluctantly accompanying her after Tesfia had returned from her home following a single night and pleaded with him, with a serious expression. As a result, his own expression was twitching a little.
Here he’d been told that it was something important... but to Alus, she’d done nothing but bring back more trouble.
When he heard what she had to say, he even tried to turn around and go back to the Institute alone.
But Tesfia clasped her hands together and begged him. “Please, my mother wants to talk with you.”
He’d had a feeling something like this might happen when he heard her training stick had been found, but considering that this ‘talk’ might just lead to even more pain, Alus felt a headache coming on.
Tesfia had tried to resist on her own, but with her going up against the renowned head of the Fable family, this result was inevitable.
“What happens if I refuse?”
“... In the worst case, I might have to drop out of the Institute.” Contrary to the bright summer sun, Tesfia’s expression was dark and gloomy.
That’s a very treacherous and troublesome flow of events, just like you’d expect from nobility.
Tesfia hadn’t mentioned any details, and that most likely wasn’t from her own will. But Alus knew that the ties of obligation in a prestigious noble family and powerful persuasive forces were at work. “That’s interesting to hear. I see, so you called me out to greet you back because this might be the last time we meet... thanks for all of your efforts,” he teased Tesfia.
“I’m sure you think I’m being selfish... but this is all I can rely on! It might not be much to you, but I’ve definitely grown. That’s why I don’t want the gates closed on my future as a Magicmaster! Please!”
She stopped where she stood and deeply bowed to Alus, who didn’t even bother to stop walking or turn around.
After glancing at her over his shoulder, he sighed and scratched the back of his head. “Talk about strange tastes,” he muttered in a quiet voice.
Tesfia’s life had been in danger during the incident with Godma, and she should have gotten a taste for what it was really like to be a Magicmaster, yet she still wanted to continue down that path.
So what else could he say? Even despite the fact that most Magicmasters ended up being expendable... “It sounds like a pain, but I don’t like the sound of your mother doing whatever she pleases.”
“Then...”
“I’ll give you a hand. The training stick is partially my fault too, after all.”
A bright expression bloomed on Tesfia’s face as she ran up to Alus. “Thanks, Al! ...Also, I thought up something like a script—”
“Stop messing around. What makes you think your script or whatever would work? Leave that kind of thing to someone who actually thinks before they speak. I’m saying that I’ll help, so don’t do something unnecessary.”
“Urgh... but...”
“If you say you want to stop the training, that’s one thing. But having you butting in on everything is getting on my nerves, so stop talking crap. I’ve never liked the nobility since being in the military, but this will be a good opportunity.”
As far as Alus knew, the nobility had always been like that. He wouldn’t go so far as to say they all were the same, but most of them were all talk, and while they schemed in the shadows they never came close to stepping out into the Outer World.
“Uhm... she is my mother, you know.” While Tesfia found that side of Alus reassuring, her anxiety only grew when she saw him looking like he’d found a great chance to vent his frustrations. She resolved to spy on the two no matter what happened.
The next day, after Tesfia and Alice finished their training.
The two girls both felt like they were seeing results, however minor they might be. It was the same training as always, trying to keep the mana within the training stick, but now they were managing to do so for a longer period of time.
Claiming that it was a rapid development due to their youth would be folly, but magic was in fact influenced by the state of one’s mind, and you never knew what could set it off.
After the incident, their mana had grown more dense. The information in mana contained all the experience of its master. In other words, there would be a visible response to any new experiences and changes in state of mind.
Those who were inexperienced even ran the risk of their mana running rampant. Meanwhile, mental growth, or an increase in the ability to control their emotions would lead to making their control over their mana become more stable.
Perhaps the two had managed to overcome something on top of their training. All they needed to do now was continue training on a daily basis to build their new growth into their foundation.
Alus called out to them as he came out of the shower room. “Well, I guess you two are doing fine.”
“—H-Hey, put something on first!” Tesfia showed no exhaustion from training, as she blushed and turned her back on Alus.
Having just come out of the shower, his chest was bare. He had a towel hanging over his shoulder, and let out a sigh. “What are you, a kid? In fact, what does it matter what I wear in my own room?”
Alice, on the other hand, let out a stupefied sound as she stared straight at him. But having someone stare at him so intently was a bother in and of itself.
Alus never let up on his daily training. Because of that, he was fit, with the right amount of muscles where they were needed. There was no waste or excess to be seen anywhere on his body.
Loki, who would have been used to seeing it, was stealing glances at him next to Alice. And she made sure to file the sight among her most precious memories. “Sir Alus, please wipe your hair before you come out. It’s getting the floor wet,” she said, as she traced his path and wiped up the droplets of water. The sight was like that of a mother cleaning up after her child.
“Ah, sorry,” Alus apologized, and used the towel on his shoulders to carelessly dry his hair. His rough method made it clear that he’d never really cared much for that sort of thing.
Suddenly the towel was snatched out of his hand. “Oh, you’re going to damage your hair if you do that.”
Unlike Tesfia, Alice didn’t hesitate to reach out and steal the towel. Alus was made to hold still while she gently wiped off the moisture in his hair.
“A-Alice... I’m amazed you can touch him.” Tesfia managed to turn her red face towards Alus, and pointed with a trembling finger.
“Hey, don’t make it sound like I’m filth or something. You’re just exaggerating.”
Alice’s towel handling was brilliant. Having his hair dried felt unexpectedly nice, so Alus closed his eyes and entrusted everything to her. Her exquisite skills made him feel drowsy.
“Fia, I feel bad for Al if you say that. Besides, isn’t this only normal? You have your servants do this for you back home, don’t you?” Alice had visited the Fable estate, and having seen this for herself, she gazed over at Tesfia.
“A-Alice!” Tesfia rushed to silence Alice, as this wasn’t something she wanted publicly known. “... A-Anyways! Yeah, maybe it is normal...?”
A noble’s lifestyle aside, this was the first time she’d seen a man’s naked upper body. She glanced over at Alus out of the corner of her eye, and as she took an interest in him, she timidly approached him like he was a sleeping wolf.
Then she took advantage of the fact that his eyes were closed to stare at his build, and she pushed her palm against his chest. “It’s kinda hard?”
Alus opened one of his eyes and looked at her, making her turn her face down and hurriedly pull her hand away.
“Sir Alus is well trained, so that is only obvious,” Loki said loftily, but she used the opening Tesfia made to feel up Alus’ upper arm. She acted cool, but she actually wanted to praise Tesfia’s courage. Making full use of the general confusion, she touched his body, little by little.
With a blush on her face, Loki continued while making excuses to herself. The normal Loki would’ve said that she was running out of control.
However, her hand suddenly stopped moving, and the relaxed atmosphere froze with it.
“That old scar...” Loki and Alice had both noticed it, but it was a surprised Tesfia who said it out loud.
Alus ran his finger across the scar as if he’d only just noticed its existence.
Taking a closer look, Tesfia could see other small scars here and there on his body.
“Well, I got most of them when I was young... but there shouldn’t be any deep ones that stand out.”
“Oh.” That was all Tesfia could say. And Alice was speechless.
He didn’t need to say anything further for them to understand how cruel the world he’d lived in had been. The words ‘when he was young’ only served to make them aware of just how bad it had been, and neither of them was able to say anything else.
But there was another girl present who understood the deeper meanings behind the scars. “But if you think of them as being what made Sir Alus who he is now, don’t they appear... endearing?” Loki said to Alice with a smile. She wasn’t just making something up on the spot either, those were her true feelings.
“I’m not going to say that scars are a badge of honor, but you should understand that this is the kind of world Magicmasters live in.” With his eyes closed again, Alus bluntly spoke the truth of their world.
The past Tesfia who didn’t know anything might have blown him off with a remark like, “That’s obvious.” But now, the truth in those words resonated deep in her heart.
In front of the boy whose body looked like he’d been torn into by the world itself, she couldn’t possibly say something like that. So she simply nodded in silence.
“Loki, dear, do you have a comb and hair dryer?” Alice spoke out to ease the atmosphere.
Loki said, “Even if Sir Alus doesn’t use it, I have one that you can use,” as she stood and headed towards her room.
“Hey, Alice... can I try it too?” Tesfia nervously asked Alice, who handed the towel over to her.
“Go try it on your own head.” Alus’ objection went unheard, as he could hear Tesfia gulp behind him.
“Come on, just a little bit. I watched Alice do it, so I can do it too.”
Alus had a bad feeling after hearing this. And as if to immediately back up his feeling—“Ow! Hey, calm down will you! Ah?!”
Tesfia seemed to have misunderstood something, as she violently whirled the towel around, rustling not just his hair, but shaking his head too.
And on top of all that... “You just scratched me with your nails, didn’t you?” Alus held his head and turned around to glare at her.
“Ahaha, sorry,” Tesfia replied, with an awkward laugh.
She must have had some kind of grudge. And just like that, the hair that Alice had put in order was now a mess.
When Loki returned with the comb and hair dryer she was shocked to see Alus’ hair, and looked like she was stifling her laughter.
In the end, she used them both to fix his hair, but it took a while longer.
After that, Tesfia and Alice got to training again, but partway through they changed from the usual mana control training.
Right now, the two of them were diligently practicing at the training grounds. It all began with Tesfia saying that she wanted to see Alice’s new spell up close. Alus allowed it on the basis that a mock battle every now and then would be good for them.
Moreover, the two had been doing mock battles on their own since before they entered the Institute, and were keeping score. With their skills improving, they felt like it was about time to test themselves.
It was the perfect opportunity to vent their frustrations with the plain and boring mana control training. Incidentally, Alus wasn’t present, as he’d be unable to keep himself from speaking out. And if he was going to do that, it wouldn’t be any different from their usual training.
That was also because Alus had other things to do. Not thinking up ways to deal with Tesfia’s mother, but analyzing the unusual ingot he’d bought from Budna. Since it was an unknown material, Alus was getting really worked up for the first time in a while. And since he was in the laboratory, of course, Loki was with him.
Alus interjected with the occasional “I see” and “how interesting” as he looked over the detailed results of the ingot’s analysis.
It had been a while since Loki had seen him like this, and she quietly watched over him with a smile so as not to get in his way.
Of course, she didn’t forget to bring refreshments at the right time. With that, she was able to enjoy the sight of Alus devoting himself to his research. He had spent most of his life so far contributing to humanity through extraordinary efforts, so he should be allowed to focus on whatever grabbed his interest now.
However, that peaceful time came to a sudden halt.
It happened shortly after Loki started her detection training. The sound of the doorbell rang out, and their attention turned towards the front door.
The bell that rang out only once had a strange inexplicable feeling to it. After being pressed for longer than you would normally hear it pressed, it stopped completely. The two of them couldn’t recall anyone who rang a doorbell like that.
It clearly wasn’t Tesfia or Alice, nor was it Felinella. And the most unusual thing was that neither Alus nor Loki had sensed a presence until the visitor rang the bell.
Well, noticing such things ahead of time was strange, but both Alus and Loki had sharp senses.
Alus hadn’t let his guard down, but he might have been too invested in his research. He signaled Loki with his eyes.
Just in case, she checked the camera outside the door, and saw an old man with a gentle expression.
Next, the well-dressed old man politely bowed to the camera.
Loki concluded that no intruder would be this bold, and opened the door.
The old man looked a little grateful as Loki led him in, and once he stood in front of Alus, he held his hand against his chest and bowed once more. “Forgive me for the sudden visit. It is a pleasure to meet you. I am Selva Greenus, the Fable family butler.”
The elderly butler who introduced himself as Selva had perfect manners, which helped ease Alus’ and Loki’s guard. The bow from this man with a straight posture was completely fluid, not showing his age in the slightest.
Alus had heard a little from Tesfia and had expected this visitor at some point, but this was just too fast. And he’d showed up with perfect timing, when Tesfia wasn’t present. “I’m Alus, Ms. Tesfia’s classmate. Nice to meet you.”
Selva’s eyebrows furrowed for a moment at Alus’ flat reply. It was suspicion over the fact that he hadn’t introduced himself as Tesfia’s close friend or instructor, but simply as her classmate. Though no one else would notice such a slight change.
Incidentally, Alus had made his position vague to get a feel for how much Selva knew.
And Selva, maintaining his position as an ordinary butler, guessed as much and didn’t speak of it any further.
However, he did give him personal words of thanks. “Thank you for always taking care of young Lady Tesfia.”
This visit was because Tesfia had won in her battle against the stubborn traditions of nobility, which Selva welcomed. He had a discerning eye that was no different from Frose’s, and it told him that it was Alus who was responsible for Tesfia’s growth. His intuition developed over the years told him as much from the first glance.
Considering they were at an institute, Alus’ existence here was frankly abnormal. He was different from the inexperienced youngsters, a clear outsider.
“I see, so I can’t get away with feigning ignorance, can I?” Alus could tell that this Selva was no normal butler.
But more importantly... “Hearing her called Lady Tesfia does make her sound like she’s nobility.”
“Al, Ms. Tesfia did say that she was from a noble family from the start,” Loki added, not using any formal address and calling Alus by his nickname so as to seem like they were just normal friends. Selva’s intentions still weren’t clear.
“That’s true.” Alus knew as much after their first meeting. “But to be honest, she just doesn’t fit the image of a ‘young lady.’”
“Perhaps not,” Loki said.
The two exchanged troubled looks. They weren’t trying to make fun of her.
Seeing this, Selva’s expression eased up, though he had a wry smile on his face. “I see. I am relieved to hear it. Lady Tesfia spent most of her youth at the mansion with strict manners being enforced upon her... but it appears that she is spending life properly as a student here. No one person is suited for everything, and in that sense, she endured quite a bit.”
“Well, let’s leave it at that.” Alus felt something similar to himself in Selva, and while he was still cautious of him, he did feel like he didn’t need to choose his words around him.
Loki offered to head to the kitchen to prepare tea, but Selva politely declined. That also meant that he would be getting to the point.
Of course, that’s just what Alus wanted as well, though he had a rough idea of what it would entail as he’d heard the details before from Tesfia. “You’re here because of Ms. Fia... we don’t need that anymore, you’re here because of Fia, right?”
“Yes. I just visited Principal Sisty, and she also left me with a message for you to come to the principal’s office after this.”
So it would be pointless to refuse, huh. That clearly meant that the principal would get involved. “But it’s strange to talk about someone without them being present.”
“There are some circumstances involved, you see,” Selva replied calmly.
Either way, getting the principal involved was definitely a method Alus wasn’t fond of. Of course, since Selva had paid a visit to the laboratory with this timing, Alus knew that he’d been intending for Tesfia’s absence.
Then again, things would just get tangled up even if she was here, so it didn’t matter to Alus. “I understand. Sorry Loki, but could you watch over those two when they get back?”
Alus asked her to look over their training, but there was a pause before her answer for once. “... But.” The gloom on Loki’s expression was probably because he’d be dealing with someone who was a big-shot noble. Tesfia’s mother, the head of the Fable family, was renowned, and since the Fable family butler had come out of his way to visit, she must be rather impressive.
However, when Alus was in the military, it was almost always the nobles who forced reckless missions on him. That’s why Loki would have wanted to accompany him as support if possible.
But Alus ordered her to stand by. She wanted to resist, but still wanted to remain faithful to his intentions. Ultimately, she was unable to make any selfish demands.
That’s when a hand landed on Loki’s head, as if she’d been seen through. “Well, nothing that’s going to make you worry will happen. So I’m counting on you.”
She pouted with dissatisfaction, and placed her own hands atop the hand on her head.
Her looking to him with upturned eyes showing worry prompted him to add, “I’ll be right back.”
That meant that he’d return before Loki became uneasy. After he’d said that much, Loki’s selfish desires were dampened.
“Ms. Loki, was it. I would like to ask you to take care of young Lady Tesfia as well.”
And she definitely couldn’t disregard it when the elderly butler, three times her age, asked her as well. In the end, Loki had no choice but to accept it.
“I understand. But... please return home quickly.”
Loki saw the two off with a worried expression, completely unaware that her way of speaking had returned to normal.
The elderly butler who was leading Alus moved in a way you’d never expect from someone his age.
He didn’t make a sound as he stepped down the stairs. His hands were held behind his back and remained motionless, his center of balance perfectly fixed in place.
As expected, this butler had a different set of skills aside from what was required of his official position.
His approach not being detected was certainly not just because he wasn’t letting his mana flow freely.
Either way, Alus couldn’t determine if he was a Magicmaster or not, but he was convinced that this was no ordinary old man.
If this was a capable Magicmaster, he could understand most things. He could very naturally pick up on how much experience and skill they had. Even if they held their mana back, the slight mana leakage or pressure they were exerting was enough to tell.
But first-rate Magicmasters were capable of perfect mana control, preventing any leaking whatsoever. Moreover, those kinds of people didn’t exert any intimidating pressure on their surroundings, either.
While he wasn’t showing it—this old man might be one such master.
Regardless, Alus’ intuition told him that the butler in front of him was not someone so easily trifled with. “Are all butlers for important noble families like you?”
“In what way, might I ask?” Selva replied mildly to the sudden question.
He might not be playing stupid, and Alus realized that perhaps his question was too rough, and he rephrased it. “Is the butler’s job something that requires such considerable fighting skill?” He could feel Selva turning his senses toward him.
“It might be indeed. At times you are required for guard and escort duties. However, the Fable family simply has fewer guards than other noble houses... to answer your question, butlers always stay by the head of the family’s side, so I personally believe they need a fair understanding of it.”
Understanding, is it? Alus thought to himself, as he felt like the butler had dodged his question. Though it was enough of an answer for a simple inquiry.
“Additionally, this might be very rude of me... but I have the mysterious sense that you are out of place yourself.”
“I’ll bet.”
Selva didn’t particularly seem to mind the bland reply, in fact, he smiled somewhat happily and continued, “Moreover, if I were to frankly ask, you are the student who instructed Lady Tesfia, are you not, Mr. Alus?”
“...”
“I was wondering why she was being taught by another student. I believed only Ms. Alice would have been on par with her amongst the new students.”
“Perhaps within the Institute.” At this point there was no hiding it, Alus thought, and resolved himself.
“That’s why I knew that it was you who has been guiding Lady Tesfia at first glance. And perhaps that might have been the best for her.”
“We’ve only just met, and haven’t spoken for more than a minute.” Alus furrowed his brow at his exaggerated words.
Yet Selva chuckled a little, and continued without turning around, “At this age, you can tell just from exchanging a few words. There are, of course, some things that you can’t, but I haven’t lived a long life for nothing. And I have seen a lot of people... if I were to say it, Mr. Alus doesn’t appear to hold a good impression of nobles.”
Alus lightly nodded behind him, and even though Selva hadn’t looked behind him, he seemed to understand that.
“And I can’t say that your impression is necessarily wrong. At the very least, this nation was filled with the kind of people who were nobility in name alone. The kind that tricked, deceived and treated the lives of others as if they were pieces in a game. They’d use a person for what they were worth, and then discard them like a broken toy. I have seen many foul people like that.”
“What about me?”
“Oh, who knows. But at the very least, I believe you are someone worthy of Lady Tesfia’s trust.”
This old man keeps dodging my questions, Alus thought.
Yet he wasn’t disturbed. Even if it was because of a mission, Alus had killed people, so in terms of good or bad, he was definitely bad. There was no doubting that, since he himself thought so.
Selva kept his answers ambiguous. Though vague, he’d felt that Alus wasn’t the kind of person who would betray someone who trusted him.
He was also convinced that he wasn’t someone who used or looked down on his allies... he’d gleaned as much from Alus’ and Loki’s interactions.
As for Alus... It seems this butler is secretly on Fia’s side, but he obeys the will of the head of the family because of his position. He also seems very loyal. Which meant that he wouldn’t be able to extract any information that might harm the head of the family even if they continued to talk.
Alus decided to stop their conversation here, but upon exiting the research building, his eyes came across something unfamiliar.
Upon seeing that reaction, Selva asked, “Are you interested in magic cars?”
“I’m not too interested in the car itself. It’s just that you don’t see a lot of these around here.”
In this day and age when transfer gates existed, it was a tad too much. If he thought of it as a status symbol among nobles, then he just couldn’t wrap his head around them.
Alus had no connection with magic cars, so his only interest in them lay in their internal structure and the fundamental principles used for motion. The luxurious model or sleek form didn’t interest him one bit.
“I saw a lot of research equipment in your room, Mr. Alus.”
“It’s just a hobby of mine.”
Selva didn’t point out the fact that Alus didn’t live in the dorm despite his student status, and instead continued to pursue the topic of research. “If it’s not a bother, might I ask what kind of research are you doing?”
Alus hesitated for a moment. If it would be a bother or not depended on what kind of business they had after this. Yet, as long as it stayed on the topic of Alus’ personal hobby, it shouldn’t affect it too much.
“Yes, well, recently I found an interesting mineral, and I was looking into it to see if it could be used for AWRs or something like it... I’d also like to make a magic formula from scratch that’s suitable for it.”
Normally it was unthinkable for a student who’d only just enrolled at the Institute a few months ago to be talking about making a new AWR. Building up a magic formula from scratch was even more preposterous. That was something only a handful of specialized researchers could do over the course of several years, for example, when they would come together as a research team to develop something for a national project.
Alus also had the appearance of a student looking to become a Magicmaster, so normally things wouldn’t add up.
Moreover, those who looked to become Magicmasters wouldn’t be trying their hand at magic research. Magicmasters and researchers were opposite professions, in a sense. The field of magic research was especially advanced, so there were several walls separating Magicmasters and magic researchers, apart from mere suitability.
However, after a brief pause... “That is extraordinary research. But the creation of a new magic formula would be a great achievement.”
The nuance in Selva’s tone made it hard to tell if he was making fun of him, or if he was truly impressed. In terms of not letting others read him, Selva was a step or two above Alus.
“It’s not as impressive as you make it sound. I have hopes to be able to do something during the summer vacation. Devising a concrete formula should be doable if I can connect some magical circuits together.”
“...!!” Selva simply had a bitter smile on his face.
Besides, they were almost at their destination. He was interested in what else Alus might say, but there wasn’t enough time to ask. The walk from the research building to the main building didn’t take too long after all.
Before long, the two stood in front of the principal’s office. Selva knocked on the door, reporting, “I’ve brought Mr. Alus,” to which a calm voice replied, “Come in” from the other side.
As Selva politely pulled the door open to invite Alus inside, a refreshing scent tickled his nostrils.
A normal student might freeze up when dealing with the highest authority in the Institute. Of course, Alus didn’t so much as feel a tinge of nervousness when he stepped in. All he was thinking about was getting this over with as soon as possible.
When he entered, there was already another visitor in the room.
It was a woman sitting on one side of the sofa, and she had red hair that looked a lot like a certain someone’s hair.
And on the opposite side, by the desk, was a smiling Sisty. Her bewitching smile seemed to imply even more than usual today. “Welcome, Alus. I’m sorry for calling you out when you’re busy.”
Even the tone of her voice was different from the usual. She invited him in with clearly forced behavior to keep up appearances.
When Alus took his first step inside, the woman with lustrous red hair slowly stood up. Her high-quality dress was a sign of her social status and dignity. But it was more modest than he expected, as in his experience, nobility usually wore flashy outfits to garner attention.
The woman was about as tall as he was, and she had the air and looks of someone commanding. The fierce crimson eyes of someone who’d overcome countless battles pierced Alus, and looked him over as if to appraise him.
However, that was only for an instant. Within the blink of an eye, her expression had already transformed into something more gentle, and with a smile she softly spoke, “It is a pleasure to meet you. I am Frose Fable. And you would be Mr. Alus, correct?”
With a charming smile on her face, Frose reached out her hand, dressed in a thin evening glove.
Her manners as a noble were perfect. It didn’t feel like she was putting up a front, but still, she had an aura that kept people from needlessly approaching her. Even if they had just met someplace else, Alus wouldn’t have considered her to be a commoner for a moment. That was how much grace and confidence he’d seen in her in this brief spell of time.
“The pleasure is all mine. Though it appears I don’t have to introduce myself.” With a slight bow, Alus greeted her in kind to keep her in check. However, he wasn’t as calm as he appeared. If anything, he was flustered inside.
The reason wasn’t because this was Tesfia’s mother, but because he’d missed that her name was Frose.
That name was already famous when he first began serving. The brave red-haired Frose was one of the Three Pillars alongside Vizaist and Sisty when she was on active duty. As a peerless general, she’d earned her name commanding in battles against Fiends, giving her the nickname “Red-Haired Frose.”
Alus glanced at Sisty, who was responsible for this meeting, wanting to give her a piece of his mind.
But to his surprise, Sisty herself had a bewildered and faltering smile as she seemed to be waiting for Frose’s next move. And he realized that they hadn’t arranged this beforehand.
Thinking about it, Sisty was supposed to be protecting Alus’ identity. She must not like Frose meeting him either.
In that case, Alus thought, Sisty was probably pushed into this meeting due to her position.
Selva said he had a message from the principal, but that most likely was because Frose was pushing for it. That meant that Sisty probably had nothing to do with this, and was here more as an observer keeping an eye out so Alus’ secret didn’t come out.
Having surmised as much, Alus determined that it would be in his best interests to get out of this as soon as possible.
For now though, he sat down on the sofa facing Frose, and spoke first to beat Frose to the punch. “Sorry about this, but my schedule is full, so can you keep this short?” Alus wasn’t going to get timid with anyone, but, to be frank, he didn’t think he’d be able to beat her in a fight with words. Especially so, since he was facing someone that even made Sisty hold her tongue.
“My, is that so. I believe that there’s a bare minimum explanation that has to be made before we can get to the main topic. And I apologize, but explaining things in order will take some time. Besides, I don’t have much time myself.”
Perhaps his youthful frankness had just gotten her worked up instead. After closing her eyes for a moment, Frose smiled with an unassuming expression and fought back against Alus’ check.
Neither side looked like they wanted to yield, but that wasn’t actually the case. Bargaining for yielding ground could only be established when both sides had room for negotiation.
However, Alus had no intention of compromising. “Is that so? Then I suppose we should take this on some other day. That way I can take some time off beforehand.”
He’d heard a quick summary from Tesfia, but there was no point in listening to it again. Taking advantage of Frose’s sudden arrival without making an appointment, Alus stood and unhesitatingly made his way to the door.
Sisty remained firmly a spectator, crossing her arms as she watched Alus leave, but making no move to stop him.
To Alus, this kind of scramble for the initiative was pointless.
As Selva called out “Master Frose,” Frose too realized that the nobility’s way of bargaining wouldn’t work with Alus. “I’m sorry, Mr. Alus. But please wait a moment.”
As she said that, she dropped her poker face and put on what was most likely her normal, soft expression. She no longer appeared to be appraising Alus, either. “It seems it’s just like Fia said.”
Alus decided this was her usual expression, because the way she looked with a wry smile on her face was the spitting image of Tesfia. If he were to point out a difference, it would be the composure that came with age and the more friendly impression that her upturned lips gave.
In reality, Alus had expected this development. A noble had taken the time to come all the way to the Institute, so there was no way they’d go home with nothing to show for it. “I’m not going to ask exactly what you heard from her, but it doesn’t sound like I’m being complimented.”
As he sat back down on the sofa, Selva appeared with black tea from somewhere.
Sisty maintained her meaningful smile, and thought that he should have done so from the start.
This was where things began for real.
According to Tesfia, she hadn’t told her mother anything about his rank, or anything confidential, but... Loki’s records aren’t exactly confidential. And reaching me from there would be simple. Even if she doesn’t have any conclusive evidence, I should assume that she has a general grasp of things.
Alus would need to carefully choose his words, while anticipating Frose’s hand.
Sisty was present to observe how things went down, and to keep a lid on information in the case that it leaked. Even if Alus’ secret reached some parts of the public, she’d stop it from spreading within the Institute.
Alus turned his gaze back to Frose.
Under his stare, she calmly brought the cup of tea to her lips, and took a sip. She drew a long breath as a preamble, and then began to speak. “Mr. Alus, I heard from Sisty that you are teaching Fia and Alice. I’d like to start by thanking you.”
“It wasn’t a problem. It’s true that I accepted that role. But I can’t deny that I was more or less forced to. Either way, I haven’t done anything significant yet.”
“Oh, I don’t think that’s true. At the very least, that kind of change shouldn’t be possible unless they’ve at least seen a glimpse of true battle ‘outside.’”
As Frose denied his words, Alus narrowed his eyes.
As expected of a former high-ranking soldier, Frose wouldn’t be so easy to handle.
It was clear that she was talking about the change in form and nature of Tesfia’s Icicle Sword. After the extracurricular lesson and the fight against Godma’s Dolls, she had picked up a lot of things, which was why the Fable family’s traditional magical sculpting that she was so good at had changed.
I’d taken it as just a sign of her growth, but perhaps it went beyond that.
“Are you aware that there was an extracurricular lesson held recently?”
“Yes, I hear it was the first time the Second Magical Institute tried their hand at it.”
“I believe she saw her glimpse of true battle outside when she experienced the threat of Fiends.”
“I see. It’s true that battle against Fiends is the first step in knowing the Outer World. And you are able to sift out the Magicmasters who are unable to overcome that.”
With a seemingly satisfied smile, Frose continued, “Then, about that stick that repulses mana... how would you explain that?”
Alus had expected as much, but he honestly didn’t have any good excuses. It was unclear how much information the other party had, but it would be next to impossible to dodge the question. “That was something I had made. I just happened to get my hands on some good material. Well, it was kind of like an extension of my hobby.”
The problem was that the material was so special. If pressed, he’d have to reveal a portion of his abilities and status anyway. The rest would depend on whether or not Frose saw through him.
The edges of Frose’s lips curled upward to the point that even Alus could tell. “That material happens to be from a Fiend, doesn’t it? And a rather high-classed one at that. From what I know, not even a Fiend’s remains can easily be brought into the human domain. It requires considerable technology to preserve, and the nation’s and military’s official permission to even be allowed to safeguard such a thing... Mr. Alus, you wouldn’t happen to be nobility or from a family of similar status, would you?”
“Surely you jest.”
Frose already knew this. She’d thoroughly researched noble families when looking for a suitable fiancé for Tesfia. Moreover, an upstart noble wouldn’t be able to get their hands on high-classed Fiend parts just to then turn them into training equipment. Though she was retired, Frose always kept up on information pertaining to the military and nobles.
“Just what are you trying to say? I was sure this was about your daughter.” Alus was getting sick of the roundabout pursuit, and hurried her along.
“Oh, but this is very important... even to her.”
He looked at Frose’s face again. Not only was she keeping up noble appearances, but it seemed she was also seriously thinking of her daughter as well.
Sisty, still subdued, felt the storm brewing and lightly shook her head, while holding her temples.
Of course, the only one who saw her was Selva, who stood off to the side.
“Fia is, of course, the main reason why I came here today. But as a parent, I’d like to know what kind of person is teaching her every day.”
Not having had parents, Alus couldn’t deny Frose’s claim of parental love. But he did wonder if parents really did worry about every detail like this. “I’m just your average civilian student, and certainly nothing close to something as great as nobility,” he said, and waited to see how Frose would react.
Considering everything so far, he was now convinced that she was still gathering information, and that she didn’t know everything yet. After all, her smile was still very ambiguous. Though he didn’t know her intentions, that at least was good news.
Also, for the head of an important noble family, she was surprisingly tolerant. At least she didn’t seem to have taken any offense at his sarcasm.
It was something that would have prompted Vizaist to furrow his brows with a sullen expression, as he claimed that nobility wasn’t all that.
“... I can’t imagine your average student being able to get their hands on that stick, but fine.” Like Frose said, this was a rare material that you’d struggle to obtain even if you could pay an exorbitant amount of money.
For starters, the miasma-like mana that Fiends emanated wasn’t good for humans. And unless it was preserved using special equipment, the Fiend parts would start to crumble the moment the Fiend’s core was destroyed, which was probably for the best.
There was technology for purifying the miasma, but the cost was quite high. Moreover, there were also all kinds of substitute materials for low-classed Fiend parts.
In short, making use of such equipment and technology to preserve low-classed Fiend parts was unthinkable. In other words, those kinds of measures were only taken for parts from high-classed or Variant Fiends, which was why there weren’t many in circulation.
It was also a big risk to even bring in Fiend parts to the human domain, considering how many mysteries were wrapped around them. They could end up regenerating and multiplying, and then there were the issues with mental hygiene.
At most, it would only be permitted once or twice a year, for the sake of investigations and research.
Anyway, Alus could predict what Frose wanted to touch on. If she wasn’t going to pursue the matter of the training stick any further, that would be a blessing to him, but it also meant that her real business pertained to her daughter. Her side as a former soldier was evident, but ultimately, she was Tesfia’s mother.
Frose maintained her smile and changed the topic. “I’m sorry about this, Mr. Alus... but I’d like you to refrain from instructing Fia any further. If you can do that, I won’t pry into your affairs anymore.”
She said this resolutely, but there was some gratitude mixed in with her words, in part because as her mother she genuinely rejoiced over Tesfia’s growth.
Just listening to the words, it sounded exactly like the kind of oppressive and selfish speech Alus had come to expect from the nobility he loathed—if he were to take the words at face value, that is.
However, he could catch a glimpse of her inner feelings that she would never show in front of Tesfia. While it was still selfish, it seemed Frose had her own logic under which she operated.
“May I ask the reason? As someone who’s taken so much time out of his schedule to tutor your daughter, I can’t back down just because you said to.”
“That’s fine, but do keep this a secret from Fia.” Frose swore him to secrecy, thinking of her daughter. Seeing Alus silently nod, she glanced over at Sisty, seemingly requesting the same of her. Sisty also wordlessly agreed.
After confirming this, Frose began to speak. “Mr. Alus... how is Fia from your point of view?”
“‘How,’ as in...?”
“Unfortunately, I wasn’t very blessed in magic talent. When I was active, I was stuck as a Triple... Without any favoritism, I think Fia is more blessed with talent than me.” Normally, a Triple Digit status was more than enough of an achievement for a Magicmaster. But for someone from a major noble family, it wasn’t enough.
Deciding that he would listen to everything she had to say, Alus nodded, while maintaining his silence.
“When I was on active duty, the difference between my abilities and a certain Double Digit Magicmaster who eventually climbed up to be a Single Digit was as clear as day.”
“Would that Magicmaster be the principal?”
“... Yes.”
Alus had more or less caught on. Frose had called the principal by her name. These two were once part of the Three Pillars, were close in rank, and both were women. Their relationship must have run quite deep.
With a wry smile on her lips, Frose continued to reminisce. “Sisty and I would often team up. But because of our differences in talent and rank, I turned to taking command. You might not know about it, but I was called up to help with the Fiend invasion five years ago, too.”
Alus did actually know that. It was a battle that would remain in his memories forever.
“There have been several outbreaks of massive numbers of the creatures being stirred up by high-classed Fiends, and threatening the human domain. But as far as I know, that was the largest force ever,” Frose said, “with ten A-class Fiends, and a total of over a thousand altogether. It was assumed that Alpha in particular would be devastated. But due to Sisty’s great efforts, not a single Fiend breached the defensive line. There were Magicmaster casualties, but even they were less than half of what was expected.”
It was during that incident that it was discovered that A-class Fiends could group up—ten of them working together. One of them was a new species that would later be named Siren.
And those A-class Fiends had tried to close in on the human domain.
Most of the casualties Frose mentioned weren’t Magicmasters on the defensive line, but those who’d been sent to eliminate the A-class threats.
While the line hadn’t been breached, thanks to Sisty, a lot of Magicmasters had worked in the shadows.
The Magicmaster who’d dealt with the majority of the high-classed Fiends remained wrapped in mystery to this day.
This achievement was said to be the pinnacle of everything the special forces led by Vizaist had accomplished, though they took losses so heavy that the forces had to be disbanded afterwards. That was just how disastrous a battle it had been.
Some were lucky enough to have scraps of flesh or bits of bone left of them. Some didn’t even have that, and were identified through what remained of their belongings, if that. Everything gruesome in the world was condensed into that chaotic battleground.
Frose closed her eyes as she continued, “When I saw Sisty then, I was convinced that we were leagues apart. With my haphazard talent, I would never reach her level no matter how much effort I put in... she goes beyond natural talent. A single Magicmaster that could display power exceeding that of hundreds, if not thousands... I feel bad for Fia, but she’s nowhere close to that.”
Sisty cleared her throat, as Frose continued to focus on her as the topic. As the principal, she had trouble accepting a statement that would cut off Tesfia’s future, but these were the words of her parent, and what she was saying was mostly the truth.
While Tesfia could aim to become a normal Magicmaster, things would be different if she was to aim for the heights that were the Single Digits. To claim that anyone could become that with enough effort was irresponsible.
What will he say? Sisty glanced at Alus out of the corner of her eye.
Alus’ expression remained completely unchanged after hearing Frose’s explanation. And the next words out of his mouth were... “Is that so.”
It was neither an acknowledgment of her, nor a refuting of her. Frose had made a point that Alus could accept.
However... “True, if she’d train to become a Magicmaster the regular way, she’d probably only get as high as a Triple, something that’s still within reach for normal people. Far from Single and even Double Digits. But...”
Full of confidence, Alus continued like he was prophesying the future. “If she gets through my training, she’ll acquire powers equal to a Double. It would be especially worth it if she could become a Single Digit. You brought up the principal as an example, but she spent some time as a Double first. Sure, I can’t say she’d become a Single Digit, but a Double Digit wouldn’t be unrealistic. Fortunately Fia has enough power to keep up with my training.”
Alus paused, and muttered under his breath, “It’d be a problem for me if she couldn’t... well, in the end, it’s up to her.”
“...” Frose fell silent at Alus’ words, and contemplated them carefully.
Was this really the case? She’d come here to reject that very possibility in the first place.
Frose looked over the boy in front of her again. Normally, she’d dismiss it as a child’s drivel, but this boy had instructed Tesfia and achieved a degree of results.
She’d also picked up on the cues from Sisty, and was convinced that this boy was different, even if she didn’t know exactly how. Especially when thinking of what was best for her daughter, it was only natural that Frose would quietly ponder over things, even if it wasn’t what Tesfia wanted. She wouldn’t be able to reach a conclusion right away.
Frankly put, she wasn’t sure how to appraise this student. However, she opened herself to the possibility of another option after meeting him.
Unfortunately, a knock on the door interrupted Frose’s thinking. It was a somewhat panicked and strangely forceful knock.
Sisty had instructed Selva to hang a “do not disturb” sign outside, but the visitor who rushed in wasn’t some unrelated third party.
Standing in the open doorway was Tesfia Fable herself.
Having run all the way here, she didn’t even stop to catch her breath before rushing up to Frose. “Mother, what is the meaning of this?!”
“Fia. I believe I told you that I wanted to speak with Mr. Alus.”
“—!! You did... but this is just too hasty!” Tesfia gritted her teeth at her own carelessness.
It was true that Tesfia hadn’t told Alus that the talk would be limited to a phone call. It was only natural to think that Frose would invite him over to the mansion like she did with Alice. So having the head of the family leave the house and come to the Institute just to meet with a student...
Tesfia glanced at Alus, trying to think of a way to smooth things over, but after a few moments she gave up, and sighed.
At the very least it was clear that Frose wasn’t expecting Tesfia to be here. She must have wanted to meet Alus alone to judge his character. As proof of that, she’d called him out when Tesfia wasn’t around. Perhaps she thought they couldn’t be frank with Tesfia present.
Tesfia was left without a way to vent her anger.
Frose regarded Tesfia with a cold look, and returned to her point to cut Tesfia off. Her manner of speaking made her feel like someone completely different. “More importantly, about the military mission the other day... Fia, why did you go on that dangerous mission?”
Tesfia was shaken. She thought she’d been able to hide it, but her mother had seen through her.
Next, Frose turned a sharp look of reproach on Alus. “I wasn’t planning on saying this much, but aren’t you the one who got her involved, Mr. Alus?”
Sisty, flustered, tried to intervene, but Frose put a stop to that. “Fia must take over as the head of the family. You might not know this, but the Fable family has a deep history.”
“You’re wrong!!” Tesfia shouted, but it wasn’t enough to put a stop to Frose’s advance. To Frose, the course of action didn’t matter.
And it was indeed Alus’ decision to let Tesfia take part in the mission. If Alus wasn’t around, Tesfia and Alice wouldn’t have gotten involved in it, especially since they were still students. Their mental resolve was still immature, as they were novice Magicmasters.
Frose knew more than Alus had expected. If she knew this much, it might not be possible to smooth things over.
“That was a misstep on my part.” Alus lowered his head, but before he could continue with a “But”—
“Don’t apologize, Al!” Tesfia clenched her fist and raised her voice. She tried to hold back her overwhelming feelings. “Mother, I’m the one who brought it up! It’s all because I begged him to! Al’s not responsible at all! Besides... I don’t regret it! I don’t care if it was a military mission, and you sound like you know what happened... but why do I have to be blamed for rescuing a friend!” With each ragged breath, Tesfia spat out her emotions.
She held her tears back from spilling out, and tried to think. She had to get her mother to understand that she did the right thing.
But in the end—
“I figured it was something like that. But there was no need for you yourself to go. What could you have even done, aside from getting yourself hurt?” Frose finally abandoned the veil of ambiguity and disclosed the undeniable truths that she knew to condemn Tesfia. “This is unacceptable. You have no concern for your own safety. This won’t do at all for the next head of the family. Let’s stop this, Fia. From tomorrow, you don’t have to be here at the Institute anymore.”
“—!! Wait! Mother, this isn’t what we...”
“Yes, I said I would think about it after talking with Mr. Alus. If you want to be a Magicmaster, that’s fine. But that will be after you get engaged to somebody and become head of the family. I won’t restrict you any further, once that is done,” Frose mercilessly said to Tesfia, with a cruel smile.
“Why... why can’t you understand?”
“Then let me ask again. What did you accomplish by putting yourself in such danger?”
Tesfia wanted to retort right away. Her mouth opened slightly, but no sound came out. She wanted to claim that she saved Alice.
However, the cruel truth stopped her. Wasn’t it Alus’ power that had saved Alice? After that, she and Alice squared off against Melissa, but wasn’t that just because Loki and Alus didn’t do so themselves? Just what exactly had she accomplished in that mission?
Since she didn’t know how much her mother knew, she couldn’t accidentally let anything slip. But she had to say something.
I have to answer, or I’ll be forced to drop out...
Her feeling of impatience and racing heartbeat made her more bewildered and drove her to a foolish conclusion.
The words she spoke... were the worst she could say. “I can kill too. I-I killed a person... and I have the resolve, so I can become a Magicmaster too...!” Tesfia said desperately, pleading with Frose.
She wanted to keep believing in her dream. And she no longer had the calmness to distinguish between right and wrong.
The room fell so silent you could hear a pin drop.
Alus pressed his fingers against his temple.
“What are you saying?” Frose said to her.
“Ah, wait, no...!”
When Frose asked her that, the realization of what she’d blurted out finally began to sink in.
“...” Tesfia bit her lower lip and hung her head low. The only noise escaping her throat was a sobbing sound.
As Tesfia fell into the depths of despair, Frose followed up. “... It’s true, isn’t it? Fia.”
“... I-It was against Dolls, they were puppets that had lost their personalities, a-and it was to protect my friend.”
“I understand. Magicmasters belong in the military. In the future, that kind of resolve would be necessary. But you are still just a student, and I am here as the head of the Fable family.”
Tesfia could only hang her head further at her mother’s strict tone of voice.
“I understand that it was an emergency, and that the enemy meant harm. But of all the things... I didn’t want to hear you saying that you’ve gotten the resolve to kill like some lowlife. I have nothing more to say to you. Get out.” Frose turned her gaze away, showing no further concern for Tesfia.
That said, she wasn’t looking at Alus or anyone else either. Hers weren’t the eyes of a mother, but the cold eyes of a noble family’s head, looking practically at the future.
Perhaps to hide the stinging pain in her chest, Frose maintained a calm expression with her mouth firmly closed. There might be times when even Magicmasters who fought Fiends would have to point their blades against other humans in the Outer World, such as for violating orders, or desertion... there were even cases of killing someone before they were devoured by Fiends.
But that wasn’t something to be proud of. Only someone blind to their shortcomings would put their incompetence on display.
Tesfia remained motionless for a few moments, overwhelmed by what had happened, before she dashed out of the principal’s office with trembling lips and huge tears in her eyes.
“I’m sorry for the interruption, Mr. Alus.” It wasn’t until Tesfia was out of sight that Frose finally turned to Alus with an exhausted smile.
“I see. ‘As the head of the family,’ is it. The way she put it certainly wasn’t very smart. But it appears that you nobility who preach about pride would put aside even a noble motive like saving a friend, even though it was clumsily put into words, in order to protect the family name. In that case, I have a few words of my own. I’m not teaching her for your sake, but for my own,” Alus replied in kind, with a dry smile.
Frose showed no reaction whatsoever, and simply held her mouth closed as if to urge him to continue.
Alus took a deep breath, and his attitude suddenly changed. He’d taken care to speak with the Fable family head using his best manners, but now he’d lost his patience for that. “Why don’t we stop here? I guess I really can’t get along with nobility.”
“This discussion isn’t over.”
“Don’t worry about it. It’s just that as of right now, you happen to belong to the group of nobles that I hate.”
“That’s a shame. But we’ve only spoken for a few minutes. What could you understand in that amount of time?”
“I don’t understand anything. Ms. Frose, you might be the head of the family, but that doesn’t matter to me.” Alus narrowed his eyes, and all traces of emotion disappeared from his expression. “I don’t like your methods. They make my skin crawl.”
Selva twitched, but Frose stopped him with a stare. As expected from a former soldier, intimidation at this level didn’t even make her flinch. At the very least, there was no doubt that she was used to this kind of situation. Frose had experienced her share of bloodshed, making her similar to Sisty in that regard.
“So what will you do?” she asked, with almost abnormal calmness.
No matter how much Alus tried to calm himself down, the irritation he felt remained unchanged. “I’m going to fill up that gap between her and a first-rate Magicmaster that you’re feeling. Not that I care about the nobility’s obsession with rank.”
He’d tried to provoke her, but Frose plainly faced him down. “What truth is there in the words of someone that nobody knows?”
“Then why don’t you take a look at your daughter’s potential to become a Double at the upcoming Friendship Magical Tournament?”
After saying this, Alus rudely stood up as if he had nothing more to say.
Frose called out to his back as he was about to leave. “By the way... Mr. Alus, what is your rank?”
Alus stopped as he reached for the door knob. “I’ll leave that to your imagination.”
“How cold. Well, no matter.” Frose had asked, fully expecting that she wouldn’t receive an answer. Not even her information network had been able to find out what rank he had.
So despite being casually brushed off, Frose’s natural, gentle smile was unaffected. “And one more thing...”
She cast her eyes down as she spoke to Alus’ back, all the while showing a motherly expression for the first time. “I think she’ll be a handful, but please take care of my daughter.”
Alus couldn’t tell what her real intentions were, because her words were so sudden. When he glanced her way, Frose was for some reason smiling brightly. It wasn’t a sarcastic smile, nor was it a mask hiding her true feelings. It was simply a calm, nuanced smile.
With an “Excuse me,” Alus left the office.
While making his way back to the laboratory, he couldn’t help but wonder—just what did Frose know, and what didn’t she? He was also puzzled by the cold, seething anger she’d directed at Tesfia, along with the mysterious smile afterwards.
Which was Frose’s true face—the head of the family, or a mother?
No matter how much he thought about it, Alus, who’d had no parents, couldn’t tell.
With the star of the show having left the principal’s office, a relaxed atmosphere filled the room. “Even as someone without children, I found that a bit too awkward,” Sisty finally spoke out, in an exasperated tone. These were words that showed her knowledge of Frose’s past.
“You’ll understand when you have children of your own...” Frose took a good sip of the now lukewarm tea and sighed. “I was in the military for too long... and so much time has passed.”
When they realized it, the sun was already starting to set, with twilight approaching. The meeting with Alus hadn’t taken that long, but considering the results, the time spent had been worth it.
“Now then, there’s one more I’d like to meet with, but I suppose I should leave that for another day.”
Frose stood up as if nothing had happened. But it wasn’t like she hadn’t gained anything. Her talk with Alus had helped her to make up her mind about a lot of things.
It also appeared that her biggest cause for concern would resolve itself in the best way possible. Her lips curled up into a sly smile at the thought.
“If you’re just coming for a visit, you’re welcome anytime. I’ll even serve tea. It’s not like we’re strangers, after all.”
“That’s something you can say when you serve the tea yourself,” Frose retorted, seeing as how Sisty had left everything to Selva.
Among the Three Pillars, Frose and Sisty had served as commander and top class Magicmaster respectively. They naturally were quite familiar with each other, and had teamed up often back when Frose was a Triple Digit.
“But that’s true. Maybe I will come to visit once in a while.”
For a change of pace, Frose thought to herself, but then Sisty held a finger to her lips as if to warn her. Her face turned expressionless, and Frose felt like the pause between her change in expression and her next words held a special meaning.
“Frose, that boy is special.”
“It’s been a while since I last saw that face... Ms. Witch.”
In the next moment, the principal’s usual mild expression returned to her face as if nothing had happened.
* * *
That wasn’t like me, Alus thought, and sighed to himself.
He walked through the darkened Institute grounds with slumped shoulders, wondering why he’d said something like that.
He wasn’t supposed to care about what happened to Tesfia. He was supposed to rejoice if she left the Institute, celebrating the fact that he’d get more time for his research.
The reason he couldn’t was because Tesfia and the others had already become part of his surroundings.
The declaration he’d made to Frose wasn’t just a bluff; they could feel that the training was having results, which helped back up what they’d done and believed in. The two girls could feel exhilaration from their sense of accomplishment, but that was only a single factor out of many.
Thinking of Tesfia’s verbal gaffe, Alus thought that they’d gotten too involved in his world.
However, Tesfia’s words... “Why do I have to be blamed for rescuing a friend?” wouldn’t leave his mind.
Like she said, nobody could blame her for that. However, that was still a naïve way of thinking, and she’d end up having to pay the price in the Outer World.
Her stance could be called too idealistic. Yes, it was beautiful but too straightforward.
That had been the case during the extracurricular lesson, too. Tesfia alone might have been able to escape from the spider Fiend. Even if she couldn’t, she could at least have chosen to abandon that foolish supervisor earlier.
Not even Alus could save everyone from the tragic fate that would befall them.
Perhaps that was why he felt he shouldn’t reject her for trying to reach that ideal. After he’d become the strongest, that was a path that he’d had to give up on. It was a path already closed to him, and one he’d never looked back on.
Yet she was clumsily trying to walk down it, despite all of her missteps.
It wasn’t something that Alus should have allowed. She might experience pain for it someday, or someone else might have to pay the price.
But even then, she’d ultimately have to face her earnest feelings overflowing from within, and prove their righteousness by herself.
Yet... Yet even then, Tesfia was unreliable, acting with folly as she tightrope-walked down that path.
That’s the kind of girl she is.
Alus smiled lightly as he reached the first floor entrance. He’d spotted some red hair hiding behind a nearby pillar.
As he made his way past, he put his hand on the head of that red-haired girl. “What are you doing?”
Tesfia appeared to be desperately trying to say something, her eyes red from crying. “... I’m sorry.” That was all that she could meekly squeeze out.
“You’re not trying to become a Magicmaster so you can say something like that. Well, you understand that better than anyone.”
She quietly nodded.
The girls’ dorm curfew was closing in, so Alus decided to escort Tesfia back first.
She tottered on behind him. A sorrowful expression clouded her face as she closely kept behind Alus. It wasn’t like he couldn’t understand why.
But it was something she had brought upon herself, after saying something a daughter should never say to her mother. “I’m not really one to say this, but let me teach you something.”
After a while, Alus opened his mouth to continue. He might have even been talking to himself. “Villains getting what they deserve, or facing retribution for their actions, call it whatever you want—but killing is killing. While you might not be blamed for it, it’s nothing to be proud of. Although others might have a thing or two they want to say about it, I think it’s fine.”
“...”
“At the very least, it’s not something you need.”
“But...!” Tesfia raised her voice to object.
“Let me finish.”
Alus had apologized to Frose for getting Tesfia involved in the mission, but there was more to it. “From your point of view, it was to save Alice. Nobody would blame you for that. But that’s different from the killing you talked about. When someone without the power to do so tries to do that, someone else is sure to die. This time, the Magicmasters on standby outside might have died for your sake. Well, I was with you, so I could cover for some of your recklessness.”
In idealistic terms, not saving her best friend in that situation was the same as letting her die.
In the Outer World, that kind of decision was said to be their last bit of humanity. That kind of cold and cruel place was what the Outer World was like.
And perhaps those that lost that bit of humanity were no longer Magicmasters, or even human beings.
“But well, you can at least take pride in your actions themselves. All you’re missing is the strength.”
“...Mm.”
For a little while, the quiet sobs of the girl rang out in the night.
Tesfia didn’t calm down until the girls’ dorm was in sight. “By the way, what did Mother say after that... am I really going to have to drop out?”
“No, that shouldn’t happen, at least not in the near future. That’s why you have to show off your potential at the Seven Nations Friendship Magical Tournament.”
“My potential?”
“In short, you just need to get strong. I don’t mind either way, but... you want your mother to acknowledge you, right?” Alus ignored her sniffles, and spoke as calmly as he could.
Tesfia replied with a powerful, “Yeah!”
That was all it took for Alus to decide what he had to do. However, he hesitated to tell her what Frose had said at the end.
Tesfia picked up on that hesitation. “What? Did Mother say something else?” A tense, dark expression appeared on her face. Not leaving doubts like that unanswered was in the nature of those striving to become Magicmasters, as well as in Tesfia’s personality.
“She asked me to take care of you... not that I understand what she meant by that.” Were all the mothers in the world as vague as Frose? She’d mercilessly cornered her own daughter, yet at the end she showed a completely opposite sentiment.
But Tesfia’s face visibly changed as she heard this. Her tension eased, and the shadow over her expression disappeared. “I see... so she said something like that...”
“She did. What about it?”
“No, it’s nothing. Nothing at all...”
The two continued on in silence for a while.
When they were near the girls’ dorm, Alus stopped. “You can get home on your own from here, right?”
“Yeah. Al, thanks for everything.”
It wasn’t quite the elegant manners you’d expect from nobility, but Tesfia said her thanks with a big smile on her face.
Alus quietly nodded back to her, and began walking back. But he left her with a few words as he turned away. “I’m going to be so hard on you tomorrow you’ll want to cry. So brace yourself.”
Tesfia waved goodbye to him.
Now then. With the sun fully set, Alus changed directions once the dorm was out of view, and headed in a different direction than the laboratory.
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